Monday 9 March 2020

Oil plunges 25%, hit by erupting Saudi-Russia oil price war - Reuters

Oil plunges 25%, hit by erupting Saudi-Russia oil price war - Reuters:

Crude prices suffered their biggest daily rout since the 1991 Gulf War on Monday as top producers Saudi Arabia and Russia began a price war that threatens to overwhelm global oil markets with supply.

A nearly 25% slump in oil prices triggered panic selling and heavy losses on Wall Street’s main stock indexes as the rapid spread of coronavirus amplified fears of a global recession.

Saudi Arabia and Russia both said they would raise production at the weekend after a three-year pact between them and other major oil producers to limit supply fell apart on Friday.

Moscow had refused to support the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in making a deeper oil cut to cope with the substantial fall in demand caused by the impact of coronavirus on travel and economic activity.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 fell $10.91, or 24.1%, to settle at $34.36 a barrel. The contract fell by as much as 31% earlier in the day to $31.02, its lowest since Feb. 12, 2016.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 fell $10.15, or 24.6%, to settle at $31.13 a barrel. WTI earlier dropped 33% to $27.34, also the lowest since Feb. 12, 2016.

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